IIT Roorkee reports acid-resistant nanocomposite for uranium recovery from acidic wastewater

IIT Roorkee researchers have developed an acid-resistant magnetic nanocomposite to recover uranium and rare earth elements (REEs) from highly acidic wastewater, including acid mine drainage and nuclear effluent. The work, published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, targets a key limitation of earlier nanomaterials, which can corrode and lose performance in low-pH conditions.

The approach encapsulates active magnetic nanoparticles within a porous silica protective shell. The protective layer is described as shielding the magnetic core from acid corrosion while still enabling chemical capture of target elements. Laboratory results reported that the material can recover up to 370 gms of uranium and REEs per kg of nanomaterial.

The researchers also report high extraction efficiency over five consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles, indicating potential for repeated use in treatment settings.